


The Book of Love

by gingerwrites



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Steve Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-08
Updated: 2014-08-08
Packaged: 2018-02-12 07:47:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2101425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gingerwrites/pseuds/gingerwrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the aftermath of disaster, Steve listens to one final message.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Book of Love

**Author's Note:**

> I was listening to Peter Gabriel's The Book of Love before bed and I made myself cry as I came up with this concept for a story. It was originally supposed to be a happy fluffy fic, and then I realized how easy it would be to make this so very sad.  
> This is completely a completely unedited middle of the night rambling, so all of the mistakes are mine.

Steve sat on the edge of the bed, face buried in his hands. This was not how things were supposed to go.  
  
“Hey, Cap?” Clint knocked tentatively on the door of Steve and Tony's door before pushing it open completely. “There's... well, there's probably something you should see.”  
  
Clint waited patiently, concernedly, as Steve gathered up the tatters of his emotional control before looking up. His eyes were red-rimmed but finally finally dry. “Okay,” he rasped, and then wearily stood up to follow Clint who led him into the TV room where the rest of the Avengers were already waiting. They were all still clad in their black formal dress, although Pepper and Natasha had taken off their heels and several of the men had loosened their ties.  
  
Clint guided Steve to the central couch where Natasha and Sam were already sitting so he could position Steve between them. Natasha immediately curled an arm around Steve's and leaned her head on his shoulder. As much as Steve appreciated the attempt at comfort, she wasn't the person he wanted clinging to him.  
  
“JARVIS...” Steve turned to look at the normally unflappable Pepper Potts. Her eyes matched Steve's for redness. “JARVIS said that... that he recorded this and he would have wanted you to see it. Or really, he was going to show everyone. That's why...” Pepper trailed off, and Happy put his arm around her to hold her close.  
  
“JARVIS, please play the video,” Natasha said softly.  
  
The television flared to life and Tony was beaming at them all from his workshop.  
  
“Hello, Steve.”  
  
Steve drew in a shuddering breath but held firm. He was going to know what Tony had to say to him.  
  
“Well, actually, hello, everyone! Or Clint if he's watching this before Steve. Or Natasha if she's letting him. I still don't trust either one of you. Stop digging through my stuff.” Tony mock-glared at the camera and there were weak chuckles throughout the group. It had been four years since the group first fought the Battle of New York and Tony had proved time and time again just how much he trusted his team.  
  
“But this message is mainly for Steve.” Tony smiled again, a soft smile meant just for Steve. He glanced down and fiddled with something in his lap before looking back up. “Hi, Steve. I know that you don't like grand gestures, so in honour of our anniversary, which look! I didn't forget! Actually, you know what. I'm lying. You got me. I'm making this video before our anniversary so when I do forget I still technically haven't. I'm doing preemptive remembering. It totally counts. But anyway, I decided I would do a not big grand gesture that is also a complete cliché, so you had better appreciate it. Also, pay attention to the end. It's important. I love you.”  
  
Oh god. All Steve wanted to do was break down again. But he couldn't. Not yet. This video was important to Tony and Steve would make it through to the end.  
  
As the screen showed the words “For Steve, a god damn romantic cliché in honour of our anniversary and the only reason I made this in the first place is because he's turned me into a complete sap” choked laughter echoed throughout the room. Strings began to play and a picture appeared of Steve and Tony in battered uniforms both conked out on the couch. The same couch that Steve sat on now.  
  
A voice began to sing “The book of love is long and boring,” and Pepper let out a small wail before dissolving into tears. Happy held her close as new tears shined on his face as well. From near Natasha's feet Steve heard a stricken “oh god, he didn't...” that could only have come from Clint. Sam turned to look past Steve and asked Natasha, “Is this...?” Natasha nodded and Steve could feel her trembling as Sam quietly swore under his breath. But Steve was focused on the pictures as they changed to Tony in his shop, talking animatedly about something or another, pointing to charts, gesturing wildly, all the while Steve would be in the background, smiling gently, sketching, obviously encouraging Tony's enthusiasm if not entirely paying attention. As the verses changed, so did the pictures, this time showing Steve being the enthusiastic one while Tony indulged him whether it was making dinner, painting, or memorably the time that Steve managed to get a karaoke machine set up and convinced Tony to sing a duet with him. The final set of pictures showed both Tony and Steve doing all of the romantic clichés that Tony claimed to hate: eating dinner by candlelight, bouquets of flowers, stuffed animals, heart boxes, and finally a kiss on the rooftop. It wasn't until the screen went black that Steve payed attention to the last line of the song because the lyrics appeared in front of him.  
  
“You ought to give me wedding rings.”  
  
Steve's anguished cry tore out of his throat as he broke down completely for the second time.  
  
Tony had proposed to him. And now he was dead.


End file.
